PRESEASON GAME 5: Toronto Raptors @ New Orleans Pelicans - OCT 11, 2018 8PM ET

[DanH]

Don't want to see Kawhi playing tonight. There's no point really.

Well, it's not televised, so pretty much guaranteed you won't see it even if he does!

That said, pretty sure the only starter who will play is OG. Maybe Lowry but I'd be surprised.

[The Great One]

Well, it's not televised, so pretty much guaranteed you won't see it even if he does!

Lol good point. And i'm watching football tonight anyways.

[DanH]

Year 7 and JV is in another position battle. At some point your guys are going to have to face it. That JV is not this all-star y'all want him to be so bad. He's a role player that can give you 25 good minutes a night.

Doesn't matter who starts cause neither will play more than 25mins a game. Well maybe Ibaka will just over 25mins because he will close more games.

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Another positional battle? When has JV ever been in a positional battle? He's started like every game for his entire career, injury return games aside.

JV may well not play more than 25 MPG. If that's because they are all blowout wins, great. If not, the team will be worse off for it.

As much as I like Nurse as a coach in theory, we don't actually know what his rotations will look like or if they will be better than Casey's. We have to wait and see. Hopefully pre-season means nothing as per usual because the early returns aren't great.

[GOLDBLUM]

Not televised... does that mean like, not in Canada, or not anywhere? Will there still be a reddit stream from the Pelicans side or is this game not being watched by anyone, anywhere, unless you’re in New Orleans?

[Chr1s1anL]

Another positional battle? When has JV ever been in a positional battle? He's started like every game for his entire career, injury return games aside.

JV may well not play more than 25 MPG. If that's because they are all blowout wins, great. If not, the team will be worse off for it.

As much as I like Nurse as a coach in theory, we don't actually know what his rotations will look like or if they will be better than Casey's. We have to wait and see. Hopefully pre-season means nothing as per usual because the early returns aren't great.

Just cause you believe the team will be worse off doesnt mean Nurse does. Most teams play small to close games. You seriously overrate JV's impact.

JV will not play more than 25mins a game. It has nothing to do with blowouts either. He played like 23mins a game last year and that was him splitting minutes with second year player.

Let me keep count. So that's two NBA coaches you know better than now?
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[golden]

Year 7 and JV is in another position battle. At some point your guys are going to have to face it. That JV is not this all-star y'all want him to be so bad. He's a role player that can give you 25 good minutes a night.

Doesn't matter who starts cause neither will play more than 25mins a game. Well maybe Ibaka will just over 25mins because he will close more games.

Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk

It does matter who starts. Raps are desperately trying to unload Serge, and he's going to get every possible opportunity to prove that he's still a starter in this league. At $20M+ per year, nobody wants a backup big (who doesn't even have a position these days), and who's been in decline for the last 5 years. Masai doesn't want to give up another asset just to dump him, like Carroll. At this point, Serge is pretty much just salary matching filler.

[DanH]

Just cause you believe the team will be worse off doesnt mean Nurse does. Most teams play small to close games. You seriously overrate JV's impact.

JV will not play more than 25mins a game. It has nothing to do with blowouts either. He played like 23mins a game last year and that was him splitting minutes with second year player.

Let me keep count. So that's two NBA coaches you know better than now?
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That's kind of the whole point I'm making, that Nurse may disagree with me and that would be bad because the team would be worse.

He played 23 MPG last year and that was with him splitting minutes with Poeltl, Bebe and Serge. Rotation should hopefully be cleaner this year, as I hope Nurse will use him properly.

Most teams play small to close games. And when the Raptors play into their hands by matching up small, they have historically struggled in the clutch. When they play their best players down the stretch, less so, regardless of what the competition is doing.

[MixxAOR]

yeah if Ibaka is starting it's a money decision.

[KeonClark]

Year 7 and JV is in another position battle. At some point your guys are going to have to face it. That JV is not this all-star y'all want him to be so bad. He's a role player that can give you 25 good minutes a night.

Doesn't matter who starts cause neither will play more than 25mins a game. Well maybe Ibaka will just over 25mins because he will close more games.

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Lol hanging on to whatever little bit you can cause the game is over.

Year 7 and JV is longest tenured raptor. Outlasted demar. Proved em.

[planetmars]

This is better than Days of our Lives:

Timberwolves will not practice today. No media availability. Of course

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) October 11, 2018

[KeonClark]

This is better than Days of our Lives:

Timberwolves will not practice today. No media availability. Of course

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) October 11, 2018

Teague, Dieng, Towns and Wiggins today:

[JimiCliff]

Butler showed up to practice late and subbed himself into the scrimmage on the third team to go against the starting group, league sources said.

hehehehe

[KeonClark]

hehehehe

He basically infiltrated the team, brought reporters Including the woj bomb, and punked the coach and 2 best players. Sounds like a lot of the role players thought he came off as the alpha and lost more respect for towns and aw lol.

The story is still crazy the next day

[The Great One]

He basically infiltrated the team, brought reporters Including the woj bomb, and punked the coach and 2 best players. Sounds like a lot of the role players thought he came off as the alpha and lost more respect for towns and aw lol.

The story is still crazy the next day

I would do the same thing if i was Butler. If i was the BEST player on my team and ALSO the hardest worker and i'm playing with 2 overpaid players who are soft and diva-ish. I would do the same thing, i would fuckin embarass you.

[The Great One]

The fact that Butler teamed up with the 3rd stringers and still beat up on the starters tells you everything about Towns and Wiggins.

Prediction - Without Butler, Minnesota will once again be a lottery team.